Theis One

While parents often try to steer their children toward certain professions, Theis Oneâ€™s parents probably didnâ€™t have this in mind when they handed him a magazine with pictures of graffiti inside. â€œIt was the first real production I had seen,â€ he says. â€œIt just blew my world. I was drawing a lot at the time, so it opened some new doors [for me], and I started to get really hooked on it.â€

A native of Copenhagen, Theis One recalls first seeing graffiti back in â€™84 or â€™85. â€œI saw one of the local trains with a piece on it,â€ he says. â€œReally crappy stuff â€“ but still it made an effect on me. I got very curious and started to ask people about it, and I looked for graffiti no matter where I was.â€

Beginning by painting wooden plates in his backyard, by â€™87 Theis One was officially down the aerosol arts. With graffiti, he says, â€œI like that you can do exactly what you want to do. Thereâ€™s no limits.â€ He also enjoys the varying locations and the painting with peeps like his crew, Jungle Tactics, out of Belgium â€“ and the satisfaction of completing big projects.

Locally, Theis One describes the graf scene as large and varied: â€œthereâ€™s almost graf for whatever you like,â€ he says. â€œTrains, wallsâ€¦ We also have a couple of legal spots: Christiania, and the Hall of Fame near the harbor where the action is high â€“ itâ€™s about 2000 square-metres of wall.â€